Trump Extends TikTok US Sale Deadline to September Amid Legal Concerns

US President Donald Trump will extend the June 19 deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest TikTok’s US operations by 90 days, the White House announced on Tuesday. The extension comes despite a law requiring the video-sharing platform to be sold or shut down if no substantial progress had been made.

Trump had already delayed enforcement of the congressionally mandated ban twice—first in January, then again in April. “President Trump will sign an additional executive order this week to keep TikTok up and running,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, confirming that the deadline will now be pushed to mid-September.

“President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark,” Leavitt added, stating that the administration will use the next three months to ensure the sale is completed and that Americans can continue using the app with their data protected.

Trump previously credited the platform with boosting his appeal among young voters during the 2024 election. Speaking aboard Air Force One earlier on Tuesday, he hinted at the extension, saying, “Probably, yeah,” when asked. “Probably have to get China approval but I think we’ll get it. I think President Xi will ultimately approve it.”

Under the original law, TikTok was supposed to cease operations in the US by January 19 unless ByteDance had completed its divestiture or made significant progress toward it. Trump, who began his second term on January 20, chose not to enforce the mandate and has now extended the deadline for a third time.

In March, Trump signaled he might reduce tariffs on Chinese goods to facilitate a deal between ByteDance and US investors. A plan to spin off TikTok’s US operations into a US-based company was progressing this spring, but was shelved when China pushed back following Trump’s tariff hike announcements.

Democratic senators have questioned the legality of Trump’s repeated extensions, arguing he lacks the authority to override the deadline and that any deal must meet strict national security requirements.